Just a scant couple of days before Earth Day--the 37th anniversary of the much-heralded event--I came across an interesting column on the environmental movement in today's Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper of Harvard University, that's worth sharing.

Piotr Brzezinski opens "Requiem for Environmentalism" with quite a bang: Having lost its credibility with alarmist rhetoric and obsolete ideological ballast, the movement must develop a moderate discourse while challenging its previous assumptions and outdated theories.

Whoa.

I've been carping on the nauseating din of environmental alarmism for some time, the shrill the-sky-is-falling screams of impending doom and gloom.

Brzezinski puts his finger right on it. And in it.

The environemtal message, however important, when couched in such a way, isn't resonating with Joe Public. I know it never did with me.

Is there anyone among us that doesn't care for the environment?

I doubt it.

But every problem need not be cast as end-of-the-world.

"Be Worried, Be Very Worried": was a recent headline in Time, referring to global warming.

Please!

"Contrary to popular opinion, the U.S. environment is getting healthier," writes Brzezinski.

He's correct.

For example, our lakes, rivers and coastlines are cleaner than they were 30 years ago. The land is covered by more forests now, not less.

Are there serious local, domestic and global environmental problems?

Absolutely.

Industrial pollution, an energy deficit, rainforest decimation, food shortages and a few too many others to note here.

But these issues are being dealt with. Maybe not so well or quick enough in the myopic eye of a human lifetime, but they are. Human ingenuity and improved technology are being harnessed. The natural caring we humans have for our environment compels us to act, and we do, and always will, to improve our world. Because it is the right thing to do.

Brzezinski closes with sound advice for re-tooling the environmental message: Until environmentalists cease depending on nightmare scenarios, they will fail to influence the public at large. Let the next generation of environmentalists begin to reestablish the movement’s credibility by exploring currently heretical ideas and producing moderate, nuanced reports, even if they do not make for good press.

Well said.

So, let's celebrate Earth Day! This Saturday and every day. Yes, it's a difficult, complex world with lots of problems, environmental and otherwise. But it's also a beautiful world with lots of good people and ever-emerging solutions. Let's celebrate that, too.